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richard
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Tiger attacks Roy of
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Oct 4 23:07 UTC 2003 |
from wire reports:
LAS VEGAS Oct. 4 Illusionist Roy Horn of the duo Siegfried & Roy
remained hospitalized in critical condition Saturday, a day after a
tiger attacked him during a show, and authorities said they still
didn't know his chances for recovery.
Horn suffered a serious injury to the left side of his neck and
underwent surgery late Friday.
"The overwhelming likelihood is that we'll have to wait two or three
days before we really understand the full extent of these injuries,"
Alan Feldman, an MGM Mirage spokesman, said Saturday.
Horn, along with longtime partner Siegfried Fischbacher, have been a
Las Vegas Strip staple for years, performing their magic show to sold-
out crowds at The Mirage hotel-casino. The shows, with their signature
white tigers and lions, are among the best known and most expensive on
the Strip.
Halfway into Friday night's performance, Horn appeared alone on stage
with the tiger and told the crowd the animal was making its debut in
the show a claim hotel officials said was part of the act.
The tiger, which weighs about 600 pounds, then lunged at Horn, who
tried to beat the animal off with a microphone.
"I knew he was in trouble right away. I was horrified," said Diane
Weightman, who was in the audience. "I wanted to jump on stage and help
him. I didn't know what to do."
Andy Cushman, also in the audience, said Horn "looked like a rag doll"
as the tiger dragged him off the stage.
Feldman said stage crew members used fire extinguishers to distract the
animal and free Roy.
After the attack, Fischbacher appeared on stage and told the 1,500
audience members the performance was canceled, Cushman said.
Hotel officials said the show has been canceled indefinitely. The tiger
involved in the att
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| 82 responses total. |
scott
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response 1 of 82:
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Oct 4 23:36 UTC 2003 |
There's a Simpsons reference here, of course. 8O
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gull
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response 2 of 82:
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Oct 5 00:13 UTC 2003 |
"Pardon me, Roy, ain't that the cat who chewed your new shoes?"
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mcnally
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response 3 of 82:
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Oct 5 01:35 UTC 2003 |
re #1: for those whose Simpsons memory is weak, there's a gag in
one episode ( http://www.snpp.com/episodes/1F08.html ) where
"flamboyant" (the show's description) magicians "Gunter and Ernst"
(transparent Siegfried and Roy clones) are mauled on stage by their
own white tiger when the tiger gets fed up with the humiliation
involved in riding around on stage on a unicycle wearing a funny
costume..
> Inside one of the showrooms, Gunter and Ernst demonstrate their
> talented albino tiger riding a unicycle. "A round of applause,
> please, for Anastasia. She loves show-business. So much
> nicer than the savagery of the jungle, ja?"
>
> In a flashback, we see Anastasia sleeping peacefully in Africa.
> [Africa? -mcnally.] Behind her two men approach in a jeep.
> "Hey, tiger!" one of them calls out, "Wake up!" He shoots a
> tranquilizer dart into her, and she slumps over. The memory
> angers her sufficiently to attack her owners and tear them
> to shreds.
Life seems to be imitating the Simpsons frequently lately. I recently
read an article about the CEO of Red Lobster being driven out because
of disastrous losses from the chain's misguided "all you can eat crab
legs" promotion, virtually the same problem that afflicted Captain
McAllister when Homer discovered the "all you can eat" seafood special at
The Frying Dutchman... ("'Tis no man. 'Tis a remorseless eating machine.")
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aruba
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response 4 of 82:
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Oct 5 03:34 UTC 2003 |
Well, I hope Roy's OK.
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richard
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response 5 of 82:
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Oct 5 06:19 UTC 2003 |
ignore the next two items, they are duplicates of this one. I was lagging
when I entered this item and hit enter on backtalk more than once...oops
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happyboy
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response 6 of 82:
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Oct 5 06:38 UTC 2003 |
he had it coming.
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slynne
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response 7 of 82:
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Oct 5 15:59 UTC 2003 |
I hope he is ok. But, I cant really feel sorry for him. I mean, he was
working in a dangerous job but unlike most other people with dangerous
jobs, he was very well compensated.
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rcurl
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response 8 of 82:
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Oct 5 19:19 UTC 2003 |
I would say that he voluntarily accepted the risk, and compensation seems
irrelevant.
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richard
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response 9 of 82:
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Oct 5 19:44 UTC 2003 |
according to news reports, prognosis on Roy of Siegfried & Roy is grim. the
report at www.lasvegasreviewjournal.com indicates he's had massive blood loss,
from the bite to the neck and as a consequence later suffered a stroke.
Employees of the Siegfried and Roy show at the Mirage have been told they have
to consider other options in their careers. Very sad. I guess it raises the
argument, which PETA and other animal rights groups often make, that exotic
animals shouldn't be make to perform in shows. However, PETA couldn't claim
these tigers were mistreated because as stated, they had a huge facility and
lived like kings. They live a lot better no doubt than the elephants who work
in the Barnum and Bailey circus no doubt.
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slynne
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response 10 of 82:
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Oct 5 20:10 UTC 2003 |
I dont know. There are some people who take high risk jobs because they
dont have any other options and thusly arent really paid well. I feel
sorry for those folks. I was watching a documentary about railroad
workers in the 19th century recently that made me think of that. I
mean, I felt sorry for all the guys who lost fingers, hands, legs,
their lives working for a few bucks a day. I dont feel sorry for Roy
really and the major difference is that he was compensated well for
taking the risk. *shrug*.
PETA can very well claim the tigers were mistreated. The truth is that
they probably werent. However, I think this illustrates that keeping
animals like Tigers is a dangerous business. They arent meant to be
kept as pets or as trained performing show beasts. It is dangerous to
do so. If people want to take on those risks, it is ok with me. I
imagine that Siegfried and Roy knew what they were doing and didnt put
the public at risk, just themselves.
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richard
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response 11 of 82:
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Oct 6 01:13 UTC 2003 |
slynne, you must also remember that siberian tigers are an endangered species,
and Siegfried&Roy regularly subsidized breeding programs and are among the
world's largest benefactors to programs to protect exotic animals. Siegfried
has said it is their way of paying their performing tigers-- the tigers
perform and in exchange tens of millions of dollars go to protecting and
breeding their species so their kind will survive. It is a fair tradeoff.
These tigers do a lot more for their kind by performing than they would
otherwise. Siegfried&Roy even have a tiger maternity ward in their facility
at the Mirage where they directly subsidize the breeding of these endangered
animals.
Montecore, the seven year old tiger who attacked Roy, according to stories
won't be hurt or killed because of what happened. Montecore got confused and
put his jaw around Roy's arm. Roy hit Montecore with his microphone, which
is a trainer's technique to get him to stop. But Roy's microphone was on
since he'd been talking to the audience. Thus when he hit the tiger with it,
the sound of the mic hitting the tiger resonated throughout the building on
the speakers. The amplified sound spooked Montecore and he reacted
instinctively. As stated, Montecore is a siberian tiger, an endagered
species, and it is illegal to harm him. He will probably be fired from his
job as a show tiger, lose his cushy digs at the Mirage, and be sent off to
a zoo somewhere.
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md
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response 12 of 82:
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Oct 6 02:16 UTC 2003 |
Re 10: A man gets his neck torn open by a tiger, and you don't feel
sorry for him? What exactly would it take?
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bru
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response 13 of 82:
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Oct 6 02:45 UTC 2003 |
Perhaps they are getting to old to deal with the tigers. I mean, he is what
65 now? He lost his focus for a moment and it cost him.
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happyboy
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response 14 of 82:
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Oct 6 06:09 UTC 2003 |
re12: an man willingly gets into a cage with a tiger and gets
mauled. why should i feel sorry for him, save for the pity i
feel at his having some sort of emotional disability.
yeah, i guess i feel sorry for him after all...as i do for
folks who intentionally OD or jump off a bridge.
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rcurl
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response 15 of 82:
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Oct 6 06:15 UTC 2003 |
I feel most sorry for people to whom something tragic happens through no
fault of their own. The emotion shifts, however, when the tragedy lies
in the inherent hazards in actions they have chosen. The end member is
is thinking that "at least they died doing what they love to do". However
one can still feel sympathy for their friends and relatives.
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md
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response 16 of 82:
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Oct 6 14:04 UTC 2003 |
Reasons, so far, to say you don't feel sorry for a man whose neck was
torn open by a tiger:
"he had it coming" (So the tiger was actually trying to execute him?)
"he was working in a dangerous job but unlike most other people with
dangerous jobs, he was very well compensated" (You only feel sorry for
poorly compensated animal-trainers who have their necks torn open?
What income level is the cutoff point for you?)
"he voluntarily accepted the risk" (And that hardens your heart, how?)
"why should i feel sorry for him, save for the pity i feel at his
having some sort of emotional disability" (That would be a very nice
response if you weren't using "emotionaly disability" as an insult.
Sorry for noticing.)
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slynne
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response 17 of 82:
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Oct 6 14:59 UTC 2003 |
I dont know what the income cut off point would be. I dont especially
want to find out either. I guess that I feel that anyone who chooses to
take on such risks and then has it come and bite them in the ass (or
neck) doesnt get my sympathy. I really dont feel sorry for this guy.
FWIW, I dont feel sorry for hypothetical junkies who OD or take dives
off bridges. In fact, it is a rare suicide that makes me feel sorry for
the person anymore. Mostly I just think they are selfish assholes.
I do sometimes feel sorry for people who have dangerous jobs who take
those jobs because they dont have other options or because they want to
help people. I felt sorry for the public servants who died on 9/11.
Anyhow, I dont have to justify my feelings. feelings dont have to be
logical. If I knew the guy, I probably would feel sorry for him. If I
had ever seen this show, I probably would be more prone to feeling
sorry for him. But, I simply dont feel sorry for this guy and his
income has a lot to do with it. His work saving an endangered species,
while admirable, doesnt make me feel sorry for him either.
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remmers
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response 18 of 82:
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Oct 6 16:53 UTC 2003 |
How do you feel about firefighters injured in the line of duty?
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richard
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response 19 of 82:
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Oct 6 17:33 UTC 2003 |
The ones I feel sorry for are the kids who were in the audience and saw
that happen. There are always a lot of kids at their shows and a gory
scene like that could haunt a young child for a long time.
We watch a lot of high risk sports. Like auto racing, and skiing, and
boxing. In those sports, which we find entertaining, accidents happen and
people get hurt. Roy told people in the ambulance, according to one
story, that he views what happened as an accident, takes all the blame
himself, and wants noone to blame the cat.
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